What Are You, Movie?

The Mill and the Cross

2012-02-03T12:44:00.001-08:00

5/5
The Mill and the Cross was the most beautiful and visually arresting film that I saw from 2011. It took me a long time to decide to say that considering that 2011 also gave us The Tree of Life.
It tells a story inspired by Pieter Bruegel the Eldar's 1564 painting The Way to Calvary and Michael Francis Gibson's book The Mill and the Cross.
The film is deliberately paced with little dialogue but anything else would be dishonest. The look of the film is truly fascinating and as technically advanced as the visual elements are they never take away from the story and, in fact, work very well with the simplicity of the film. Over half of the film is of peasants doing ordinary, everyday tasks.
There are a lot of different things going on here and I think I picked up on at least a couple of them. The main one that struck a chord with me was the Christ story, specifically his crucifixion. Pieter Bruegel, played by Rutger Hauer, knows the importance of events occurring around him and is very concerned with properly capturing the story of his time for future generations.
Pieter brings up how people often don't realize the importance of events transpiring around them while they are taking place. This is shown in the film during the crucifixion. A crowd has gathered to view the spectacle, but they are cruelly indifferent to the men being crucified. Kids are playing. Soldiers are gambling.
In one scene Pieter is discussing his painting with Nicolaes. "Although he (our Savior) has fallen at the center of my painting, I must hide Him from the eye."
"Why would you want to hide Him?" Nicolaes asks.
"Because He's the most important." Pieter replies.

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Some Thoughts On Best Actor Noms

2012-01-26T16:52:00.001-08:00

I'll separate the nominees into 3 categories:

1. The Household Names, and Previous Nominees.

Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Both for the same roles that their Golden Globe Noms were for. No surprise here.

2. The Guys You've Never Heard Of.

Jean Dujardin and Demian Bichir. Dujardin was expected and he did already win a Globe. Bichir on the other hand is quite a surprise, especially considering that he got nominated over Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Fassbender.

And the best for last...

3. The Guy That's Way Overdue.

Gary Oldman. It is a real shame that this is only Oldman's first nomination. He is a true cinematic treasure and someone who rarely, if ever, misses with a performance. He is ace as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and I am really hoping that he wins. He has some serious competition, but I could see him winning in much the same way that Scorsese did for The Departed. I do think he deserves it for this performance but the fact that he has previously been such a glaring omission from the Oscars is in his favor I think.

Let me know what you think and who you think did or didn't deserve a nod.

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Some Best Picture Nom Thoughts

2012-01-25T10:22:00.001-08:00

Best Picture Thoughts:
The Artist and The Descendants, if I had made a bet on any 2 being nominated it would have been these. Close behind would have been Moneyball and The Tree of Life. Hugo is no surprise, but I did not expect to see War Horse. Midnight in Paris is a very pleasant surprise, but a bigger surprise is that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close somehow got nominated despite poor critical reception (48% on Rotten Tomatoes as of now). Four of the Noms have a 90% or higher on RT, two have 80% or higher, two have 75% or higher, and Extremely Loud has a paltry 48%.
I'm not surprised to see The Help in there, and I guess I don't mind since I'm sure it won't win.
Where's Drive? It was the 4th most listed film on critics end of the year lists.
Also, why nine nominees? Just to prove that they don't have to do 10? They should have just added in Drive to make it 10, or left off Extremely Loud and The Help for seven.
Now of course there are lots of other films that I would have liked to have seen instead, but I'm realistic. I'm just happy that The Tree of Life and Midnight in Paris made it.

What are your thoughts? Let me know if you agree or disagree with me.

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DVD/BLU Ray Pick O The Week

2012-01-17T22:29:00.001-08:00

Just saw this today. A truly amazing ensemble cast. Plenty of great performances. Kept me interested enough the whole time. In the end I thought it was good but not great.

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Favourite Steven Soderbergh Films

2012-01-17T22:22:00.001-08:00

With Haywire hitting theaters this weekend I decided to choose Steven Soderbergh for this weeks top five.
Disclaimer: I've only seen about half of his films so far so my list obviously only reflects the ones I've seen.

1. Che
I'm putting both parts 1 & 2 together for my number 1. Benicio Del Toro gives an incredible performance and I believe that these were the first feature films to be shot entirely with Sony's RED cameras. I knew practically nothing about Che Guevara before watching these films and I found them to be quite gripping and informative.

2. Bubble
A very simple low budget film using non-actors. It's about people stuck in a small, mundane town and something that happens that's not so mundane.

3. Traffic
Soderbergh's Oscar winning masterpiece drama about drugs (to put it really simply).

4. The Informant!
Another great fact based story about a man who cannot stop lying no matter who to or what the stakes are. Also Matt Damon turns in what I believe to be his best performance.

5. Solaris
A really cool and trippy sci-fi film, starring one of Soderbergh's favourites, George Clooney.

Honorable Mentions:
Contagion
The Ocean's films

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January Jones

2012-01-13T09:01:00.003-08:00

January Jones is not a good actress, at least not in movies. I've only seen her in X-Men: First Class and Unknown but she is terrible in each.
I've never seen Madmen but I've heard lots of good things about it, hopefully she is better in it as well otherwise I'll probably never be able to sit through more than a couple episodes.
Now to be fair she had to wear some pretty absurd outfits in X-Men but she is still bad.

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January Jones

2012-01-13T09:01:00.001-08:00

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DVD/BLU Ray Pick O' The Week

2012-01-12T16:04:00.001-08:00

Moneyball. It was an easy choice this week. Not only is Moneyball the only release that I've seen but it is really the only one worth noting. I do have some interest in There Be Dragons from Roland Joffe (director of The Mission), and I could see myself watching Killer Elite for a fun action movie night.

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Moonrise Kingdom

2012-01-12T15:23:00.001-08:00

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/what-kind-of-bird-are-you-trailer-for-...

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Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

2012-01-09T16:24:00.001-08:00

4/5
I watch this TV show that I am quite taken with called Parks & Recreation. I won't get into all the things I love about it while writing a review for a movie, but there was this connection that popped into my mind when I was watching Ghost Protocol late last night in a theatre empty of all but me.
There is a character on the show called Tom Haverford. In about two or three episodes he performs a feet of physical comedy that always makes me laugh, I mean I will even rewind and re-watch him do it, it is so funny to me. It's nothing fancy or elaborate. It just running. When he runs it's one I the funniest things I've seen. I love to see him run.
Cruise has quite a few running scenes in MI 4. I live all of them but for a different reason. As funny as Haverford looks running, Cruise looks equally so, except cool. Ethan Hunt running is awesome. Makes me want to just get up and run really fast.
This movie had a lot about it that I liked aside from that though.
The innovation for the gadgetry and action scenes in this movie blew my mind. The last time I was this astounded by a scene in an action movie was the chase scene in Casino Royale.
At first I found myself being overly critical. Thinking that things were to unrealistic or cheesy. Then I remembered that I was watching a movie called Mission Impossible about a covert agency called the IMF. Impossible Mission Force.
Does that sound realistic? Do I really think that this movie wants me to walk away thinking, "Ya I could see that totally happening in real life". And then consider the stakes. The bad guy (Michael Nyqvist who really isn't given much to do) wants to destroy the world by launching nuclear missiles because he thinks after humanity recovers we will all be better for having had the experience.
This movie was a blast Brad Bird (director of The Iron Giant and The Incredibles) does a tremendous job and shows that he has a great eye for action regardless of medium. This is the kind of movie that theaters exist for. Mind blowing spectacles, exotic locales, intense action and chase scenes. It had everything I could have wanted from a MI movie and more.
When I left the theater I did not see one person on my way out, not even an employee. I wondered if it were possible that they all left and I was locked in. My car was the only one in the parking lot. I sprinted to it, and I felt super cool.

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Top Five Tom Cruise Films

2012-01-02T22:51:00.001-08:00

Since the new Mission Impossible movie is out I've decided to do a Top Five list for Tom Cruise movies. Some time I'm going to get into my pet peeve of people disliking actors/actresses due to their personal life but for now I'm just going to get into my list.

1. Magnolia
I have to go with Cruise in his Oscar nominated perforce as Frank T.J. Mackey in Paul Thomas Anderson's third feature film. It is one of my favourite films and it is my favourite Tom Cruise performance.

2. Minority Report
Steven Spielberg is at the top of his game with this sci-fi thriller. Cruise also turns in a great performance. I'll just take a quote from Ebert's 4 star review: "This film is such a virtuoso high-wire act, daring so much, achieving it with such grace and skill. Minority Report reminds us why we go to the movies in the first place."

3. Eyes Wide Shut
The list of directors that Cruise has worked with is insane, but none may be more impressive than Stanley Kubrick (considered by many to be one of, if not the best director of all time). This is not a movie I can really recommend, due to content. I have only watched once myself and will likely never watch it again but it was quite intriguing and definitely drew me in.

4. Rain Man
Cruise and Dustin Hoffman are great together and this is a fun movie that also has a lot of heart.

5. Jerry Maguire
Show me the money! That's all I'm gonna say cause I want to go to bed.

A few more things:
My least favourite Cruise film: Top Gun
I'm ready to feel the wrath, I know lots of people love this movie but I just don't.

Great performance: Tropic Thunder
I loved Cruise in this movie. When I watched it I knew I recognized his voice right away but it took me a while to put it together. He was really funny, at least I thought so.

Let me know if you agree with me or tell me how wrong I am, I'm looking forward to it either way.

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Too Many Films To See

2012-01-01T21:50:00.001-08:00

So far I have seen about 35 2011 releases. I was feeling pretty good about that number considering that this was my first year as a father and that I've only made it to the theater 3 times so far.
Then I counted how many movies were on my "To See" list. 45. That's a lot, at least for a stay at home dad who works nights and weekends. Fortunately less than 15 would be ones that I would have to see in the theater in order to make my personal deadline (before the Oscars). Only about half of those will probably play in the theaters here (not much for limited releases in Reno). About 15 are already available on DVD and another 15ish might make it onto DVD in time for me to make my Favourite of the Year List before The Academy Awards.
I am pretty confident that I will be able to get in almost half of the films on my list before my deadline but that will still leave me missing about 20-25 potential "list makers". But overall I feel good about it, can't do much better in a city that basically only gets wide releases in the theater.

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Cowboys & Aliens

2011-12-30T09:45:00.001-08:00

3/5 stars
The first 5 minutes or so of the film was one of the coolest and most engaging movie experiences of the year for me, but unfortunately this movie was all down hill from there. It's not that I didn't give it a fighting chance, it actually had quite a bit going for it as far as me liking it.
First off it was a Western and anyone who knows me knows how fond I am of westerns. Secondly it stars Daniel Craig, an actor I am particularly keen of these days. Those first two things were reasons enough but there was even more going for it than that: Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, and Jon Favreau directing.
Craig was fine and Ford seemed bored (though I did enjoy seeing him as a villain). Rockwell and Dano were both fun, other than the Western motifs they were probably my favourite part.
How to fix this movie?
In my opinion stick to the first five minutes. Leave it gritty. Get rid of Olivia Wilde's character, by far the worst parts of the film were every scene involving her, though in her defense I will say that I don't think it would have mattered who played that character. Make it R rated and (if possible) get rid of the aliens.
I wouldn't say don't see it, just don't expect too much and you will probably at least have fun,

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Quick Hits

2011-08-05T22:42:00.001-07:00

Grave of the Fireflies 4/5

One time I was watching the movie Up with a group of people that included a couple of children. After the opening montage was over, and most of the viewers were teary-eyed, one of the moms said, "What kind of a kids movie is this?"

For a long time (since 1986) Studio Ghibli has been making what I refer to as "animated films", not just "kids movies".

This was only the second film to be produced be Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, ect) and it was directed by Isao Takahata. It is about a boy and his little sister in Japan during WWII. It is certainly not a happy movie, though it is filled with many touching moments. One of the things I like best about this film. other than the relationship of the brother and sister, is the simplicity of the film and the life of its inhabitants. It is definitely and anti-war film and Ebert lauds it as such here: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000319/REVIEWS08/3190301/1023

The Matrix 4/5, The Matrix Reloaded 4/5, The Matrix Revolutions 3.5/5

I don't have anything new or insightful to offer about this trilogy, but I will defend my liking of the second one. Or rather I will let Ebert do it for me, he actually gave Reloaded a better rating than the original: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030514/REVIEWS/305140301/1023

The Company Men 2.5/5

I was excited about this movie because of the cast, and because I thought it was going to explore the concept of self-worth outside of your job. While it did touch on it I thought it could have done a much better job. There were a number of times in this film where I was excited about where (I thought) it was going, what (I thought) was going to happen, or what (I thought) certain characters were going to say, but for whatever reason it always seemed, to me, to stop short. It could have been much better if it had gone deeper and committed but in the end it left me saying, "Meh."

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Westie's Favourite Films of 2010 (1-5)

2011-02-27T15:22:00.001-08:00

These were the hardest for me this year. These could all be at any different spot in the top five and they are all interchangeable. But since I copped out last year I decided to buckle down and pick an order.

1. The King's Speech
Incredible performances and just an awesome true story that I was unfamiliar with. Colin Firth was completely successful at making you feel the frustrations of someone in his characters predicament, and he and Geoffrey Rush's scenes together were the most fun I had at the theater this year.

2. The Social Network
For having almost no interest in seeing it I sure did enjoy this film. Great direction, as always, from David Fincher, good writing, other than Rashida Jones' character who shouldn't even be in the movie, terrific score, and amazing acting by Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield.

3. True Grit
Probably the funnest movie in my top 5. Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Hailee Steinfeld were all tremendous. The Coen brothers certainly infused some great comedy into this western and I just loved it.

4. Shutter Island
Here is my review on this film
http://westiemag.posterous.com/shutter-island-94

5. The Fighter
It's been awhile since we have heard from David O. Russell, but I would say he has only gotten better. This biopic is successful because of good writing, great acting (by Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, and even Mark Wahlberg), restrained direction, and a truly transformative performance by Christian Bale. I cannot say enough good things about his performance in this film, so I won't.

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Westie's Favourite Films of 2010 (1-5)

2011-02-27T15:21:00.001-08:00

4. Shutter Island
Here is my review on this film
http://westiemag.posterous.com/shutter-island-94

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Westie's Favourite Films of 2010 (6-10)

2011-02-27T14:39:00.001-08:00

6. 127 Hours
A tremendous true story that really engages you due to the amazing performance by James Franco. Danny Boyle always makes good films.

7. Inception
Christopher Nolan only makes great films, at least I think so. I love the way Nolan created the effects in this film, I love the writing, great cinematography, amazing editing...there are some minor issues I have but it's just a great film.

8. Winter's Bone
This movie made quite an impact on me and had some of this years most frightening and intense scenes. The reason this movie worked so well for me is that it was so real. I believed that the world in this film could actually exist. Also Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes were incredible.

9. Black Swan
A crazy and provocative film from the always controversial Darren Aronofsky. Natalie Portman is devastating as someone who sits on the cusp of fulfilling their dreams, only to succeed with devastating results.

10. The Town
This is a terrific heist film. I think that Ben Affleck is a great director. It has good acting and some really good action scenes.

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Westie's Favourite Films of 2010 (6-10)

2011-02-27T14:31:00.001-08:00

6. 127 Hours
A tremendous true story that really engages you due to the amazing performance by James Franco. Danny Boyle always makes good films.

10. The Town
This is a terrific heist film. I think that Ben Affleck is a great director. It has good acting and some really good action scenes.

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Westie's Favourite Films of 2010 (11-15)

2011-02-27T09:11:00.001-08:00

11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
This franchise has grown on me more and more as it goes and this one was no exception. Just intense and very absorbing.

12. How To Train Your Dragon
Well a year has finally come where Pixar did not top my animated chart. This is a beautifully animated film with a great message.

13. Date Night
This is a really rare comedy that is just as good a film, as it is funny. Steve Carell and Tina Fey are great together, there are lots of fun actors with small parts, and it has a surprising outlook on marriage.

14. Despicable
Just not Pixar's year in my book. Another animated film that I enjoyed more than Toy Story 3. Just a funny film that is enjoyable for all audiences.

15. Alice in Wonderland
Despite weak writing and a terrible ending Tim Burton was still able to give me enough to make this film enjoyable. The art direction, make up, costumes, and cinematography are all terrific and Burton's regular troop of collaborators are all great as well.

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Westie's Favourite Films of 2010 (11-15)

2011-02-27T09:06:00.001-08:00

11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
This franchise has grown on me more and more as it goes and this one was no exception. Just intense and very absorbing.

12. How To Train Your Dragon
Well a year has finally come where Pixar did not top my animated chart. This is a beautifully animated film with a great message.

14. Despicable
Just not Pixar's year in my book. Another animated film that I enjoyed more than Toy Story 3. Just a funny film that is enjoyable for all audiences.

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Westie's Favourite Films of 2010 (11-15)

2011-02-27T09:05:00.001-08:00

11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
This franchise has grown on me more and more as it goes and this one was no exception. Just intense and very absorbing.

12. How To Train Your Dragon
Well a year has finally come where Pixar did not top my animated chart. This is a beautifully animated film with a great message.

14. Despicable
Just not Pixar's year in my book. Another animated film that I enjoyed more than Toy Story 3. Just a funny film that is enjoyable for all audiences.

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Westie's Favourite Films of 2010 (11-15)

2011-02-26T22:24:00.001-08:00

11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
This franchise has grown on me more and more as it goes and this one was no exception. Just intense and very absorbing.

12. How To Train Your Dragon
Well a year has finally come where Pixar did not top my animated chart. This is a beautifully animated film with a great message.

14. Despicable
Just not Pixar's year in my book. Another animated film that I enjoyed more than Toy Story 3. Just a funny film that is enjoyable for all audiences.

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Honourable Mentions 2010

2011-02-13T16:58:00.001-08:00

Well the Oscars are only a couple weeks away now so I need to get started with my favourite films of 2010 and maybe even some Oscar thoughts. My Honourable Mentions are just going to be listed alphabetically.

The Ghost Writer

A tense political thriller starring Ewan MacGregor and Pierce Brosnan. Roman Polanski was quite successful at pulling me in and keeping me guessing throughout this film that is supposed to be a, not so subtle, comment on Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The Kids Are All Right

This is, in my opinion, the weakest best picture nominee this year and I can easily think of about 5 much more deserving films. Despite that I do think this film has some good qualities. First, it has a very good ensemble cast. Everyone is quite good in it, even the kids(anyone who knows me knows that it takes a lot for me to say that). Mark Ruffalo is quite good and deserving of his Oscar nom, but I think that Julianne Moore's performance was better than Annette Benings. Second, I like the territory explored in this film as far as children needing a ,male, fatherly connection and influence. Do to some unnecessary graphic scenes this is not a film that I could freely recommend, nor will I likely see it again. I believe one viewing was sufficient for me to get all of value from this film.

The Other Guys

This film is growing on me but overall I enjoyed the trailers more than the movie itself. One surprise that I really enjoyed was Michael Keaton. His "inadvertent" TLC quotes were probably my favourite part.

Red

The best "old people action movie" of the year. That being said there was not really anything particularly special about this film. Just a fun action film with a couple of really cool scenes. Bruce Willis stepping out of the moving car was pretty freaking awesome.

Robin Hood

This movie suffers a lot from being too similar to Gladiator. Could you have at least given Russell Crowe a different haircut for the love of Pete. I still liked it a lot but I would definitely recommend the directors cut. The theatrical version is a waste of time.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Michael Cera is fun in this fan boy film based on the popular manga series. It's a quirky, funny, weird movie that succeeds in a lot of the same ways as Kick-Ass, just not to the same degree.

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Quick Hits

2011-02-02T19:35:00.001-08:00

The Social Network 4.5/5 For having almost no interest in seeing it I sure did enjoy this film. Great direction, as always, from David Fincher, good writing, other than Rashida Jones' character who shouldn't even be in the movie, terrific score, and amazing acting by Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield. The Fighter 4.5/5 It's been awhile since we have heard from David O. Russell, but I would say he has only gotten better. This biopic is successful because of good writing, great acting (by Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, and even Mark Wahlberg), restrained direction, and a truly transformative performance by Christian Bale. I cannot say enough good things about his performance in this film, so I won't. I Love You Man 4/5 This is one of those movies that took a second viewing for me to appreciate. A truly funny role by Paul Rudd. An actual novel idea for a comedy plot. And my favorite, Jason Segel. He is just too funny in this film.

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Quick Hits

2011-01-24T10:26:00.001-08:00

Dinner For Schmucks 2.5/5

This is another example of a comedy with a great cast and people in charge that don't know what to do with them. There is no excuse for a comedy that features Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, and Jermaine Clement to not be very funny, if not hysterical. The last time I saw this much wasted talent in a comedy was in Jared Hess' Gentlemen Broncos. I would never imagined that it would be possible to make a movie that starred Jermaine Clement and Sam Rockwell suck.

The Town Extended Cut 3/5

I think that this version is almost 30 minutes longer than the theatrical and of all that extra footage I don't believe there was a single scene that I cared for. I wouldn't waste you time with the extended cut but I definitely recommend the theatrical version. This is a good example of the theatrical version being much better than the extended cut.

The Sword In The Stone 4/5

Some of the less popular Disney hand drawn films are personal favourites of mine because of growing up with them and my brother. This movie is very good and has a great message but I know part of why I like it so much is nostalgic.

The Crow 2/5

I can see how this movie could have been good when it was new, but it was a struggle for me to finish and that very rarely happens. If nothing else I'm glad it exists as a stepping stone for Alex Proyas.

The Sting 3.5/5

It was fun to see Robert Redford so young and Paul Newman is always good. Unfortunatley, due to how many films like this have been made since, I think it is unlikely to have the effect that it did when it was new. Most of todays movie goers are likely to see the twists a mile away and guess the ending before it even unfolds.

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'09 Films Cont...

2010-04-21T12:59:00.001-07:00

Here are some other films from '09 that I have seen since making my list or I just missed while making my list.

Futurama: Into The Wild Green Yonder

I don't know how I missed this one while making my list but if I hadn't it would have been in my top ten or higher.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

David Yates has definitely made my favourite Potter films thus far and I definitely enjoyed this one. I am very excited that he will be directing the final two installments as well.

Hunger

An amazing film featuring a terrific performance by MIchael Fassbender.

The Informant!

Matt Damon gives what I believe to be his best performance in Soderbergh's dark comedy that is based on true events.

The Lovely Bones

Peter Jackson goes back to his pre-Lord of the Rings roots in this after life thriller.

Ponyo

If you have never seen a Miyazaki then this one is just as great as any other to start with.

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Westie's Favourite Films of '09 (1-5)

2010-04-09T09:36:00.001-07:00

I will be cheating on my top five. It was really hard for me to assign most of the movies up to this point a certain number in my top 25. The truth is that many of them are interchangeable and would rank differently depending on my mood or which film I saw most recently. My top five will be listed alphabetically. I think all five of these films are excellent and they all have many strong points and very few flaws.

500 Days of Summer

I found this film to be so purely enjoyable and fun. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so fun to watch and totally carries the film for me. I just love how this film breaks genre stereotypes. It is essentially a romantic comedy, but it is about the boy rather than the girl. There are so many other things I really want to say about this film but I don't want to give anything away. As the narrator says near the beginning, "This is a story of boy meets girl, but this is not a love story."

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson finally got the chance to be in complete and total control of every single detail of a film and he used it to his definite advantage. A superb cast of Anderson regulars supply the voice talent for this fun stop motion picture. Anderson's signature family angst has its place in the plot. The soundtrack is everything you have come to expect in an Anderson film. This is just a highly enjoyable quirky film that I am happy to be able to recommend to anyone.

Inglourious Basterds

What can I say about this. Christoph Waltz is stupendous and ever so deserving of his Oscar. Unlike a lot of people, I found Brad Pitt and his performance to be extremely funny and enjoyable. Tarantino has lots of scenes carried by dialogue but that will not come as a surprise to anyone that is familiar with his work. It is still a little early to say but this may be my favourite Tarantino film.

Moon

Sam Rockwell is a terrific actor who always leaves me wanting to see more of him at the end of his films. Lets just say that Moon contains plenty of Rockwell for everyone. This is a terrific sci-fi film that relies more on writing and practical(miniatures) effects than on things blowing up and other "special" effects. Duncan Jones has made a truly astounding directorial debut. The last time I was this excited about a new director was when I saw Brick. This film was an homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and his next film is supposed to be in the vein of Blade Runner. Jones sure sets his sights high, but if he succeeds on his next film at level that he did with Moon, than I am sure you will see him in my top five again someday.

I once watched this film with a group of people that included some children. We arrived at the spectacular montage near the beginning that tells Carl and Ellie's story of a life together, a life of happy and sad times, a real life. Once the montage ended, on a very sombre tone, one person said, "What kind of kids movie is this?" Good question. It is not a kids movie. Pixar does not make "kids movies", they make films. Up is an excellent film that is appropriate for all humans.

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Westie's Favourite Films of '09 (6-10) at last we get into the top ten

2010-03-30T13:40:00.001-07:00

6. Where The Wild Things Are

Great film. Totally Spike, and that's probably the cause of most of my frustration when it comes to this movie. Most of the people that I talk to don't like this film because it is to weird for them, and they haven't seen any of Spike's other work. The thing that kept this film from being higher on my list was not the weirdness, how can you see Being John Malkovich or Adaptation and not know that this will be weird. I just wanted to have a little more fun than this film offered me, not to say I wanted it to be a "fun movie". I really liked it however and I have the sneaking suspicion that my appreciation of it will only grow with multiple viewings.

7. The Hurt Locker

I'm not going to go into too much detail about this film. It is just really great and I cannot say how happy I am that it beat Avatar for best picture. I love seeing small budget films acknowledged and rewarded, especially over films that have offensive budgets and average scripts. Great performances, lots of famous actors showing up with small parts, realist shooting. Just a really good movie

8. District 9

Probably no one will be more surprised than my brother to see how high I rated this film. When the trailers first started coming out I was not a fan, right Zach? :). And the only reason I ended up seeing it in the theater is because a couple of friends invited me to join them. Needless to say I had a blast with this movie. Incredible first film from newcomer Neill Blomkamp. I'm sure he can take his pick of projects after the success of this film and I hope he continues to impress. Also I have to say how much I enjoyed Sharlto Copley in his debut in the lead role. It was definitely one of my favourite performances of the year.

9. Goodbye Solo

This is probably the smallest film on my list. It is just a really powerful story about people and how they can make a meaningful impact on each others lives. Some people may get turned off by this "bare bones" film. No sets, no special effects, most of the people are not even professional actors. All those factors just made the film that much better for me. I have more appreciation for films that rely more on strong scripts and strong performances then on editing and special effects.

10. Sherlock Holmes

I was really excited for this film even though I didn't see Jude Law as being a good casting choice for Watson. After seeing the first trailer my excitement lessened, which in the end was a good thing for me because it lowered my expectations to a reasonable level. I had a lot of fun with this film and I cannot wait for the sequel. I like how you could see some of Guy Ritchie's trademarks, particularly the stylized slow-mo mix in shots like in the boxing match. But I was glad to see that he restrained himself and focused more on making it good film that had mass appeal, after all a Christmas day movie starring Robert Downey Jr. is obviously intended to be a blockbuster. I really loved the look of the film. I loved Hans Zimmer's score. And I especially loved the chemistry of Downey and Law. Their on screen moments together were the highlight of the film for me and, as I said, I cannot wait for the sequel to really develop that.

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Quick Hits

2010-03-29T09:20:00.001-07:00

Pulp Fiction 4/5

Somehow I always forget how much I like this film until I decide to catch up with it again. I have nothing new or insightful to say about it.

Jackie Brown 4/5

It was a Tarantino Monday. This is possibly his least well known film and I find it to be every bit as good as Pulp Fiction. Interesting dialogue, great cast, I particularly enjoy De Niro he is just so subtle, understated, and believable.

Singin' In The Rain 4/5

First time that I have ever seen this film and I would have never guessed that I would have liked it so much. Just really clever, I love how it sort of satirizes the very thing that it is.

Peggy Sue Got Married 3/5

Sort of a Back To The Future concept. An old and relatively unknown Francis Ford Coppola film. It stars a young Kathleen Turner, and young and goofy Nicolas Cage, and a very young Jim Carrey in a small role.

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Westie's Favourite Films of '09 (11-15)

2010-03-22T17:11:00.001-07:00

11. A Serious Man

Described by many as the Coen's most personal film yet. To me the evidence of the previous statement is apparent all through out this, what I consider, modernish story of Job. The characters, situations, and sets seem to be plucked straight from the memories of the Coens. Michael Stuhlbarg is incredible as the lead and everyone else pulls their weight as well. My favourite things about this film are the overall lack of explanation, easy answers, and resolutions. No one can tell Larry why these bad things are happening to him and I particularly like how the movie ends, but that it is not the end of his grief or life.

12. Public Enemies

Johnny Depp was great in this gangster pic, and I also particularly liked Christian Bale in this film. Lots of people have been hating on Michael Mann for the choice of filming that he used but I loved it. In my opinion a director should not have to change his style to match his material, but should interpret the material with his style. Otherwise why make the film if it's not going to be personal and something that he enjoys making.

13. Coraline

Henry Selick turns in his best work by far since '93s Nightmare Before Christmas and I think that this film is just as endearing and well conceived. This film was such a delicious "feast for the eyes", to borrow the phrase of someone better than me and that actually gets paid for their opinions of films. The voice talent was great and it was just such a whimsical and creepy ride that I am certainly ready to take again.

14. The Hangover

Definitely the funniest movie I saw this year, and surprisingly clean to boot. Not to imply that I think it shouldn't be R rated or that I find it appropriate for children. Just a fun comedy with a great cast that brought what would have been just another forgettable R comedy up to a rewatchable and very enjoyable one.

15. The Brothers Bloom

I am a very big fan of Rian Johnson. Ever since brick I have been anxiously awaiting his next project and I was certainly pleased with Bloom. Although it didn't captivate quite like Brick had it was still very fun and involved great actors and even had a very brief cameo of Joseph Gordon-Levitt that brought a smile to my face. Ruffalo, Brody, and Weiss were all great and you could still see Johnson's evident love of film and personal investments.

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Quick Hits

2010-03-13T19:56:00.001-08:00

These are the movies I saw this week with short reviews and ratings.

30 Days of Night 2.5/5
A watchable vampire thriller.

Gomorrah 3.5/5
An interesting foreign mob film.

Gentleman Broncos 2/5
The third film from the creator of Napolean Dynamite. The worst of his 3 movies despite having the best cast by far.

Cape Fear 2.5/5
My new least favourite Scorsese film. For me their were some fun DeNiro moments but the rest of the time it felt like a really good TV movie.

Psycho 5/5
Amazing. I enjoyed this film so much and I'm glad I finally caught up with it.

Sent from my iPhone

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Shutter Island

2010-03-11T14:56:00.001-08:00

4.5/5 Stars

Teddy Daniels(Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner Chuch Aule(Mark Ruffalo) arrive at Shutter Island, a mental hospital for the criminally insane, to investigate the disappearance of patient Rachel Solando. It doesn't take long for you to get the feeling that there are other things going on at Shutter Island that the proprietors may not want federal marshals finding out about. Dr. Cawley(Sir Ben Kingsley) seems to want to be helpful with the investigation, while subtly taking advantage of his power over the marshals being under his authority. When asked for access to records the only one who can grant it is conveniently gone on vacation. Daniels then asks to call him, a request which Dr. Cawley is happy to oblige, but then the phones are down. Daniels then decides to question all the other patients who were las seen with Rachel but all the answers he gets from the patients seem strangely rehearsed and corroborated.

From there things go on to become more and more suspicious, and we then learn that Daniels has hidden motives for his interest in the Shutter Island mystery.

From opening scene Scorsese very successfully sets the mood for the story to come with an ominous score. The next element to impress me was the look of the film itself. From even the earliest trailers that I had seen of this film I could already tell that it was very strong visually and that it was going to be a real feast for my eyes. I found myself much more enamored with the look of the world created by Scorsese on Shutter Island than I had been by James Cameron's Pandora.

The talented cast of lead and supporting characters go on to further complete realness and tone of the film. DiCaprio is stupendous and certainly carried the film well for me. Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley, and Patricia Clarkson also give great supporting performances. While I already expected good things from all those actors, Mark Ruffalo was the one who most pleasantly surprised me. It's not that I think of him as a bad actor but more that he was not portrayed as having such a big part in the trailer and I thought he pulled it off very well and stood his own with DiCaprio.

While feelings will differ quite a bit on the ending of the film what I have come to realize, and part of why I have waited a couple of weeks to write my review, is that the genius of the film is in how it unfolds more so than the "twist" ending. It is one of those rare mystery/thrillers that does not depend upon its "surprise" ending to make it watchable, and in fact I think I will enjoy even more a second time.

I was prepared to leave the theater quite upset and disappointed do to the ending, and I would have had it not been for what I believe is the final line of the film:

"Is it better to die a good man, or live as a monster?"

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Westie's Favourite Films of '09 (16-20)

2010-03-11T12:27:00.001-08:00

16. Avatar

This movie looked incredible. Of all the movies I saw last year Avatar was easily the one that was most worth the price of admission. It was visually stunning in 3D. Just about any other film that I saw in the theater last year would have been just as enjoyable if I had been patient enough to wait for it to arrive from Netflix, but Avatar certainly took full advantage of its new visual breakthroughs. I enjoyed this movie and I thought it was good but its strength in visual effects, cinematography, and art direction did not (at least for me) make up for a lack of original narrative or great acting.

17. Up In The Air

This movie probably suffered from high expectations. After all the good things I had constantly heard about it I guess I just expected more. The acting was superb and I certainly think that Clooney, Farmiga, and Kendrick deserved their Oscar noms. I would say that for me director Jason Reitman is now 3 for 3 with this film following Juno and Thank You For Smoking. I think that Thank You For Smoking is a better version of a similar story. Life without relationships is empty, but life with them could mean that you might get hurt. That was just to obvious of a revelation for me and I saw it coming from the very beginning. We are humans. We are complicated. To have meaningful relationships you have to work at it and keep trying.

18. Star Trek

I have not seen this film since the theaters so it is not too fresh in my mind but I recall it being quite fun, even if a bit long and choppy in the middle. The casting was what worked for me best. Have grown up a fan of the original fan of the William Shatner starring Star Trek I thought they did an incredible job matching new actors to those iconic roles while at the same time making it fresh rather then just a bunch of young kids doing their best impressions.

19. State of Play

Strong cast of good actors. I am a very big Russell Crowe fan so I will admit that most people may not like this film as much as me but I'm happy with any opportunity to see him on the big screen. A fun political thriller that, for most, is at least worth putting in your Netflix queue or paying a dollar at Redbox.

20. Watchmen

Awesome looking. Zach Snyder did not disappoint me with his follow up to 300. Jackie Earle Haley practically stole the show as Rorschach, and it was just another great step in his comeback to film.

11-15 coming soon

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My Favourite Films of '09 (21-25)

2010-03-08T21:31:00.001-08:00

21. Knowing

I enjoyed this movie. There were aspects of it that were not my favorite but I am not ashamed to say that I definitely liked it and since Roger Ebert gave it 4 out of 4 stars I consider myself in good company.

22. 9

Visually stunning. The movie was a bit lackluster in its writing but I certainly enjoyed seeing it unfold.

23. Invictus

This was a fine movie, I just expected more from Eastwood. This movie just felt a little shallow and there was one particularly bad song moment. The performances were great and I did like it, it was just a bit disappointing.

24. The Men Who Stare At Goats

Fun performances from a great cast, and some fun and weird moments. I have a feeling that I will enjoy it more after a second viewing.

25. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Good performances and interesting concept. Looked great. Just didn't quite sweep me away.

Numbers 16-20 soon.

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My Favourite Film of 2010

2010-01-20T22:42:00.001-08:00

I already think that the remake of True Grit will be my favourite film of this year. After finding the news that the release date is for this Christmas, all I have to do is hope that it doesn't change. I will now state my reasons for my confidence and optimism for this project:

1. It's a western.

I have a soft spot for westerns and tend to enjoy even mediocre ones.

2. Coen.

The Coen brothers are certainly two of my favourite directors working today, and though it may be arguable just how much of a western No Country For Old Men is I certainly would say that it shows that they can more than manage the territory.

3. Charles Portis.

It has also been reported that the Coens intend on making their film more true to the book than the rendition with John Wayne. I have not read the book yet, I'm still debating whether I want to read it first or keep it all for a surprise, and I also really like the Wayne version but in my opinion sticking close to the source material is rarely a bad thing.

4. The Cast.

Anyone who likes Coen movies is going to be beyond excited about them re-teaming up with Jeff Bridges who is confirmed as the lead role. The next major role will played by Matt Damon, and if you have any doubts about him or can't manage to think of him as anyone other than Jason Bourne then I would encourage you to watch The Informant!. Finally Josh Brolin will be in the film, presumably as the antagonist, making it his second collaboration with the Coens as well. Finally the Coens are having open casting for the lead female role and I have total confidence in who they will choose to portray Mattie Ross.

I am hopeful that Roger Deakins will do the cinematography, and I would be stoked beyond belief if Nick Cave and Warren Ellis did the score. I honestly cannot think of anyone who would do a better job.

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Westie's Least Favourite Films of '09

2010-01-07T13:23:00.001-08:00

I'm calling this list my Least Favourite rather than Worst, just because I didn't care for a particular film does not mean that it is a "bad" one or that no one else could have enjoyed it or found some value in it.

Another note: Number one on the list would be my absolute least favourite and then as the number increases that means I liked that movie slightly more than the one appearing just before it. Also I decided just to leave chick flicks off this list because in general I just don't care for them and they would have comprised nearly all of the list if they were included.

1. Extract

This film was just an unenjoyable experience for me. None of the "laughs" landed for me. It felt disconnected, especially Mila Kunis' part. So much talent was just wasted: Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons, Kristin Wiig. Before the movie was even a half hour in I found myself just waiting for it to be over.

2. Year One

Another comedy that just didn't land for me, and it also was not due to lack of interest. I really like Michael Cera, but his role was just utter crap. Nearly every joke related to his character in the movie relied on some sort of homosexual innuendo, no thanks. Jack Black did what he could with his role and there were a few more enjoyable moments than there were in Extract, but not enough.

3. The Soloist

Yet another case of squandered talent. It takes more to make a great, or even good, film than good actors. This movie was so obsessed with MAKING the viewers FEEL things that in the end it didn't even succeed at that. I want to care about characters because they are portrayed well and earnestly, not because I am made to. This film also reeked so bad of Oscar bait that I could never get to close anyway, due to the stench.

4. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

I will admit to liking the first to Underworld films. I find them to be entertaining action movies that I can just enjoy viewing. The third was actually a prequel and was set in medieval times. I am guessing that it must have suffered heavily due to being helmed by a new director because it just didn't stand up to the other two.

5. In the Electric Mist

This movie was not what I would call bad but I will probably never watch it again and that alone is enough to qualify it for this list because I certainly enjoyed well over half of the '09 releases that I saw.

If there is a pick you disagree with or one that I missed that you thought was exceptionally bad please comment.

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'10 Changes

2010-01-07T12:32:00.001-08:00

I plan on doing some changes to this site for '10. The most major one will be the addition of other contributors. The first new confirmed one is Mark Van Sickle and I am very excited about him joining me. A new site name has been discussed but the address and everything will remain the same. If any of you out there would also like to be a contributer of this just let me know.

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The Bourne Redundancy

2009-11-18T14:46:00.001-08:00

Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass team up again for the fourth installment of the Bourne movies. This time Jason Bourne won't do what he is told without asking questions. He has to know why he is doing it. "The reasons matter to me." Wait a minute, why did Damon just say his name is Roy Miller? I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be Jason Bourne. He has the Bourne haircut. Wait, and why is he wearing fatigues? There is the trademark Bourne quick-cut action sequence. O, hang on. This film is called Green Zone and its rated R. So I guess that means the violence will be more graphic than a Bourne movie and we can probably expect to hear a few f-bombs. I am not eagerly anticipating another Bourne movie anyway but it seems to me to be a bit redundant, and retarded, to post-pone the fourth installment to come out with this. Has anyone else seen the trailer and do you agree?

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/greenzone/

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DVD Release

2009-11-15T15:32:00.001-08:00

My DVD pick for this week is Up. This is a terrific movie that will easily be on my end of the year list of favorites. I think that it is a movie worth having on DVD because it is definitely re-watchable and it is also the type of movie that is accessible and enjoyable for most people. I say go all out and buy this movie on Blu-Ray. Disney did what I think is a genius idea by making the Blu-Ray version of the movie include 4 discs: Disc 1. Blu-Ray feature, Disc 2. Blu-Ray bonus features, Disc 3. Standard DVD Feature and bonus material, Disc 4. Digital Copy. And what really makes it all worth it is the fact that the Blu-Ray edition is only 2-3 more bucks than the standard edition depending upon where you purchase it. I think Disney is really on to something with this idea and I am really hoping that this will be the new trend with all upcoming Blu-Ray releases.

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Coen, Jonze, Anderson

2009-10-08T10:58:00.001-07:00

So the time of year where all the Oscar hopefuls jam into the last couple months is here. For me that means lots of trips to the theatre in the near future, hopefully.

This year there are a lot of films that I am excited about, from many directors that I already know and love.

First we have a new film from the Coen brothers, (No Country For Old Men, Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou, ect.), A Serious Man. It had a limited release last friday but I am still unable to find any info on when it will receive a wide release.

Then October 16th Spike Jonze, (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation), long anticipated Where The Wild Things Are will finally be released. There were lots of difficulties with Spike wanting to achieve his vision and the studio wanting to make money, but thanks in part to the support of Maurice Sendak, (author of WTWTA), it has been said that Spike won most of the battles.

On November 25th Wes Anderson, (The Life Aquatic, The Darjeeling Limited), will also be releasing an adaptation of a kids book, Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox. Honestly I was not all that crazy about the trailer when I first saw it, mainly due to the stop-motion type animation, but since then it has grown on me and Anderson has not yet made a film that I haven't enjoyed so I plan on seeing it as soon as it comes out.

Also out on the 25th is The Road. There has been a lot skepticism about how successful an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's grim tale can be. Now I have not read No Country For Old Men but I think it is safe for me to say that the Coen brothers successfully adapted that McCarthy novel. John Hillcoat obviously does not have a comparable repertoire to the Coens, but based on his film The Proposition I believe that he has many talents and abilities that are well suited to The Road. Also I think that Viggo Mortensen is a great actor.

December 11th offers yet another film from Clint Eastwood, (Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino), Invictus. It will be a biopic of sorts of Nelson Mandela. Mandela will be played by Eastwood's go to guy, Morgan Freeman. Freeman has been a part of both of Eastwood's best picture winners, and considering when this film is being released it appears that Eastwood thinks it has a chance for some more Oscars. Matt Damon will also star in this film.

Whether I care or not anymore I need to at least mention James Cameron's, (The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic), Avatar. It comes out on December 18th.

Opening on Christmas day is Guy Ritchie's, (Snatch), Sherlock Holmes, starring the on fire, well except for The Soloist which was not bad because of him, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.

Also opening on Christmas in limited release in Terry Gilliam's, (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. With a cast including Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, and the late Heath Ledger in his last performance this is a must see for me, plus it looks entirely strange which is not unexpected from Gilliam.

Three movies that were initially set for '09 releases but have been puched back to '10 for whatever reasons that I am also looking forward to are The Lovely Bones from Peter Jackson(The Lord of the Rings), Shutter Island from Martin Scosese(Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, The Departed), and The Tree of Life from Terrence Malick(Badlands, The Thin Red Line, The New World).

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Goodbye Solo

2009-10-01T14:15:00.001-07:00

5/5 Stars

Have you ever sat down to start a movie that you know very little about, and then within the first five minutes known that it was going to be something special?
That does not happen to me too often but I always get very excited when it does.
I redboxed Goodbye Solo because I vaguely remembered Adam and Matty giving it some sort of praise on their podcast, Filmspotting, a few months back.
From the very beginning of the film I had a good feeling about it. It was shot in a very simple way. It appeared to be using non-professional actors, but they were only serving to give the film a more genuine feel. It also had a low-budget indie feel to it.
Goodbye Solo is the story of an African-American taxi driver and an older Caucasian male. One night Solo is giving a ride to a patron, who seems like any other, except that he has asked Solo to take him to Blowing Rock the morning of October the 20th and just leave him their. The man has offered him $1,000 dollars to do this, but Solo takes an earnest interest in the man's motives and rather than just jumping at the chance to earn an easy $1,000 dollars he chooses to invest in the man's life by trying to discover what has him so down.
The man gets angry with Solo for asking questions and shoves a $100 deposit into his face and says he will pay him the rest in cash on the 20th. Solo reluctantly takes the money and then drops the man off at his requested destination, the theatre.
From there Solo goes on to try building a relationship with the man when he ends up picking him up again to take him to the movies. He discovers that his name is William and then continues to invest in him, spend time with him, and be his friend.
We also get to se what Solo's life is like at home, and the dreams he has for himself other than being a cab driver his whole life.
Solo is perhaps the most genuine and enjoyable character that I have met this year. He just loves people, and I loved spending time with him and very quickly invested in him and his story.
I strongly recommend this movie to anyone. It is rated R for some brief language and it would likely fail to entertain any children. Also, as I said above, it is a low-budget indie film, and it is character driven so if you don't care for those types of movies then I doubt this one will be an acceptation.
This film had an '08 festival release but was not widely available until the spring of '09 so I will be considering it an '09 release when it comes time for my end of the year list, and I am most certain that it will appear there.

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